Smaller RAM 1500 to light up ute market

I recently noted the top three sellers in America are trucks – despite all the talk of electric vehicles and the environment V8 petrol powered trucks, or super-sized utes, are still America’s big sellers – the F150 Ford the market leader with 522,000 sales year-to- date, followed by the Chev Silverado with 337,000, RAM third with 273,000 sales. This week I drove the new RAM 1500 around Bathurst, the smaller sibling to the RAM 25 and 3500 models – the 5.7-litre V8 eight speed automatic RAM 1500 converted to right hand drive on a production line in Melbourne at the current rate of 5 a day – two dual-cab models Express and Laramie from a sharp $79,950 drive-away – this smaller RAM a surprise package, manageable, comfortable, powerful, well built with some clever technology and I came away somewhat impressed despite some initial reservations. A great tow vehicle but more importantly so well suited to our driving conditions. More on the RAM 1500 next week. I’m David Berthon